After All This Time
by OneMistyKnight
Summary: Fourteen years ago, Terry and Maxine parted ways. Maxine went to an out of state University under a full scholarship while Terry remained in Gotham. They haven't spoken to each other for fourteen years because Maxine avoided him for her own reasons. But now she's back in Gotham and Terry goes to her to finally see how she's doing after all this time
1. In The Now

**After All This Time**

**Chapter One: **In The Now

With one powerful backhand from a large bronze statue, or to be more specific, Superman's statue that was positioned in the Metropolitan Park, Batman is sent flying nearly a mile across the street and into a large pine tree. But a moment before Terry's body collides into the tree, Kai-Ro, manages to catch Batman with a large green baseball mitt. Kai-Ro glances down at his team-mate, and quickly analyzing if there were any threatening injuries sustained from the backhand. Seeing Terry move easily assured him that his comrade was ok for the most part.

"Thanks,"Batman shouts out to Kai-Ro as he jumps down then rushes back to help fend off the bronze man of steel.

Kai-Ro, the young Green Lantern nods his bald head in response then quickly forms a giant green hand that catches bus that was thrown at him. The people inside the bus were screaming, but stopped as soon as Kai-Ro positioned the bus a safe distance from the chaos, allowing the passengers to quickly escape as far as possible from the little warzone.

"Aquagirl,"Terry shouts, indicating her turn to help take out the statue tyrant.

"On it," Marina announces as she jumps up onto the statue's back. She wraps her legs around its waist and rolls her arms upward toward the direction of the statue's head. The water from the pier comes rolling in and douses the statue just as it swats Marina away.

Marina falls back but is caught by Warhawk and held in a bridal position while the statue itself is pushed back forcefully into one of the warehouses near the pier. His long metal wings spread out and flapping as he carries his teammate within his arms. He looks to her, his expression somewhat unreadable because of the metal mask. "Are you alright," he inquires, the tone of his voice obviously laced with concern.

Marina held onto him tightly, but smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm ok. Thanks for the catch."

Descending, Warhawk gently sets Aquagirl down on the ground. "Don't mention it," he replies then looks in the direction of the warehouses where the bronze superman is. He saw his other teammates rush towards the metal superman who was slowly standing back up on his feet. He looked down at Marina who is also observing the same scene. "Time to finish him off," he says as he pulls out his

Meanwhile, Terry pulls out a batarang from his utility belt and flings it at the statue. The Bronze superman catches it in in his left hand then turns his head and grins devilishly at Batman. However, Terry just smirks back at him as electricity immediately spreads across his body just as Kai-Ro pins him down with the power of his Green Lantern ring. Five inch bright green chains form all over the bronze superman whose metal body, along with the pool of water created by Marina went rigid when his body was electrocuted by the batarang. In a matter of seconds, the bronze superman went limp which prompted Kai-Ro to create a large drill in the back of the bronze superman. Once Kai-Ro was done drilling, the green drill dissipated and he moved back while still keeping the statue pinned.

Cautiously, Batman walked over to the big statue and dug his hand inside the hole – plucking out a small man dressed in a blue and green patterned body suit. He was no bigger than a thumb, but he thrashed around wildly while cursing angrily. Obviously no one in the group cared, just as long as he was finally apprehended. Batman then held him up, allowing Kai-Ro to form a bright green mini jail cell in which Terry put the little man in.

Marina walked over to the Neo Knight then bends down a little to look at the man. "For a little guy, he was a big pain in the butt," Marina lightly taps the mini jail cell.

"No kidding," Warhawk adds as he stands next to Marina with his arms crossed over his chest while looking at the miniature man.

Kai-Ro lifted the make-shift cage up to his level as he looks at the miniature criminal. "I will make sure that your sentence is humane," Kai-Ro tells him, only to be flipped off by the criminal. But Kai-Ro doesn't bat an eyelash as he flies off into the night and likely to the police station to turn in the criminal.

"All in all, no one was killed and collateral damage was kept at a minimum. So, I'll call that a good night –"Terry began as he started to walk away, but Marina caught his arm.

"Look, Warhawk and I have been thinking…Maybe…Maybe you should go see her. You told us that it's been fourteen years and –"

Batman had his back turned to her, but he looked over his shoulder, giving her the signature Bat glare that was started by Bruce Wayne before he died a year ago. Thanks to Amanda Waller, the current Batman learned that Bruce was his genetic father. Suffice to say, Terry was highly upset by this revelation because he was treated as an experiment by Cadmus. He thought his whole life was a lie all to continue the legacy of Batman. And the man who raised him, Warren McGinnis, was not related to him by blood.

Oh, Terry felt used…Like he was just a clone whose life was already decided before he was conceived. Which, in all actuality, he was justified for such feelings. But over time, Terry let it go after almost a year ago and nearly getting killed for being so angry about it. For a long time, he was bitter and even hated Bruce for it, thinking the old man had lied to him. But he made amends with the old man before Bruce finally passed away last year, one late autumn night.

Marina held her hands up defensively. "Sorry, I just thought that you..." she sighs, knowing that bringing up his past was probably too much; probably too painful for him to talk about. Thus, she stopped talking and broke eye contact with him.

Terry looked away from her without saying another word. His scarlet wings ejected for flight as he ignited his rocket boots. In a matter of seconds, he took off into the night, leaving his teammates to question his mental welfare.

~La Fin~

A/N: Random story idea….Or maybe my version of the epilogue. ^_~ jtdarkman….I'm baaaaacccck~


	2. Way Back When

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long, but finally I got it out! And chocolate1, you are right. There is some resentment. Also, I might take a while to update this story, but I will complete it.

**After All This Time**

**Chapter One: **Way Back When

Terry plopped down on his couch after flicking on the lights when he got home from patrolling the city of Gotham like he always had since he was seventeen years old. Not much had changed other than an onset of new technology and the fact that he's a thirty-something year old bachelor living by himself now. Then there's the fact that Bruce, the old bat himself was no longer around. Adulthood now was not what he quite imagined. Then again, when Terry was younger, he really didn't think of his future other than the fact that he wanted to get married one day. That was it for the most part and if someone had told him that he would have spent a good majority of his nights looking out for criminals while also playing the role of a normal yet young CEO, he wouldn't believe that person and thought they were trying to be nice to get something out of him. Being Batman was enough for him, but when the old man died, he worked hard to be the next CEO just to keep the Wayne's business in good honesty. The future from where he was fourteen years ago didn't even involve taking over an old business.

Then again, at the age of seventeen and eighteen, things do change and for Terry…Boy did they change.

There were other events in his life that he didn't expect to change and Marina was the one to bring those memories back to the light with her comment from nearly two weeks ago. She knew, even Big Barda had some inkling of a clue as to what went on with his personal life. But unlike Marina, Big Barda didn't care all that much…No, that's incorrect. Big Barda felt anyone's personal life is none of her concern, unless it affected their strength in battle. Obviously Terry did well not to let his personal life meld in with his life as a vigilante.

Still…

Marina's concern and words had him thinking about the past, even with him lying on the couch and staring at the white ceiling of his living room. His left forearm rested underneath his head as a make-shift pillow, while his right hand is positioned on his abdomen.

"Talk to her, huh…" Terry whispered to himself as he repeated Marina's comment. He sighed and closed his eyes as he let his mind travel back to the depths of his memories, particularly that night when he spilled his heart to Maxine about his break-up. He could see everything, from the last criminal he was chasing down fifteen years ago….

"Keep your distance with this one. Guys like him are particularly evasive and would do anything to get away from Batman," Bruce warns his protégée from the sanctity of the Bat cave. He monitored the teenager's every move within the streets of Gotham as the thief hopped down from buildings and sprinted as fast as a Cheetah at full speed.

"Obviously, but it's not like I'll let him get away," Terry responded with one finger pressed against the com-link near his ear. He kept his distance, only to survey the surroundings of where Mr. Cheetah is running and to avoid any unnecessary surprises the thief might throw his way. "So what was that thing he took from the vault? Was it something pretty big?"

Bruce typed furiously away on the keyboard and several folders popped on the large screen of his super computer. He clicked one file labeled Z and a full list with pictures opened up. There were pictures of scientists all exclusive to Wayne Tech and pictures of scientists using a gigantic machine—big enough for one man to sit in one of the seats and aim it at another man dressed in a rubber suit. There more pictures as Bruce scrolled down, showing a man's suit glowing then taking a hit with a metal baseball bat that merely bent backwards. Bruce stared at the screen as Terry threw a batarang that was swatted away like a common house fly by Mr. Cheetah. Mr. Cheetah kept running at full speed while weaving between trash-cans, yowling cats and other obstacles.

"Pretty big…About 5,000 gigs of information about a high synthesized suit capable of reverberating energy and forcing it back on the used object," Bruce explained only the basics to his protégée.

"So…Kitty and his employers want new uniforms," Terry questioned, obviously surprised that such a project existed. Then again, this is why Wayne Tech was ahead of the game with technology.

"Yes, but this is a project I didn't agree to... It was likely another project created by Powers before he was arrested…A failed project which left many of the test subjects mutilated monsters who died within a forty-eight hour time-frame," Bruce explained further.

"So if he takes it to his employer," Terry started as he put the puzzle pieces together.

Bruce said nothing as he let the kid figure it out. His silence was enough of a confirmation to know that allowing the enemy to get their hands on that information would not bode well. In fact, had Bruce known that the uniform project was still on that chip, he would have ordered it to be destroyed a long time ago. But no use on dwelling on a what if, right now he needed Terry to apprehend the thief and grab that chip before the thief made it back to his employer.

With a little extra power to his jet boots, Terry sped after the thief. "On it," he informed Bruce as he dug into the utility belt and took out another batarang and the glue gun. He squirted a little bit of the glue on the batarang and tossed it at the sprinting criminal, being mindful of accidentally gluing his hand to the batarang.

Once again, Mr. Cheetah swats at the batarang while mocking Batman with a growl fit for a big cat. "Stupid Batman, you couldn't get me the first time, what makes you think you can get me a second time?"

Terry just holds up three fingers and lowers them one by one. By the time he lowers the last finger, the thief stops in his tracks then falls over onto the ground from his position on an abandoned apartment rooftop. His body hits the ground with a thud and a few cracks from the concrete, but he convulses as electricity surrounds his body. Once the man-cat was down, Terry walked over to the criminal and nudges his legs with his foot a little.

The thief didn't move much, other than fixate his amber feline eyes on the young Batman. He growled warningly, but it didn't deter Terry who simply bends down and handcuffs the criminal's arms behind his back and handcuffed his ankles just in case. Once Mr. Cheetah was secured, Terry stayed in a crouching position and slipped his hand into the thief's black utility belt. He pulls out a clear rubber container with a tiny black chip in the middle.

"I'll be taking this," says the Neo Knight who slips the container into his belt.

"Damn you, Batman! That's mine," snapped Mr. Cheetah who only flopped over on his side – his body still stunned from the electricity.

Nonplussed by the aggression, Terry just looked at the half-animal, half-man creature who glared at him as if promising the young Batman he would rip him to shreds the very moment he had the chance. Yet, it wouldn't be the first death threat Batman received and it wouldn't be the last either. Thus, without a word, Terry flew off into the night to return what was stolen; no quips, no smirks, just rush because there was date he couldn't afford to miss tonight.

Nearly an hour later, Terry completed his duty as Batman with the chip back where it should be and the young Batman racing down the street to make it to his date with Dana. He was already late…About forty-five minutes going on forty-six to be exact and for whatever reason, traffic was heavier than he expected for a Friday night. "Dana's going to kill me," Terry said to himself as he revved his engine to go faster.

By the time he arrived at Rhino's, he quickly parked his motorcycle in the parking lot and ran to the door. He caught a glimpse of her on his way to the restaurant and what he saw was a pissed of girlfriend heading to the front to leave. Terry had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he had to try to get her to understand that he didn't mean to be late even though she warned him that it would be his last attempt.

Terry wrapped his fingers around the metal handle of the door, and as he pulled back, he heard Dana say "Thank you." For a moment, he was confused and he looked down to notice she hadn't looked up yet.

"Dana," Terry said her name in almost a whisper. His icy blue eyes widen slightly at her appearance, noting how well dressed she is for such an occasion while he dressed rather casual in a pair of black jeans, a simple black shirt and his brown jacket.

But Dana…she looked beautiful with her hair in a high pony-tail and a plum colored spaghetti-strapped dress hugging her petite figure. The white and purple flowers in her hair set the dress off with a nice feminine touch to match the heels she wore. However, her dark eyes quickly became a heated glare and she turned away from him.

Terry snapped out of it and grabbed her arm gently. "Dana, I'm sorry, I didn't –"

"Save it Terry," Dana snapped as she turned around to face him. Her dark eyes lit with obvious anger and disappointment. She held balled up her fists but held them at her sides. "I gave you a choice and I told you that if you couldn't make the time, don't bother coming. An apology won't cut it this time, Terry. We've been through this way too many times and frankly I'm tired of going through the same thing disappointment of waiting for a boyfriend who is never around."

Terry placed his hands on her shoulders gently but she pushed them away quickly. Terry kept his hands lifted as he gestured with his movements his desperation to make their relationship work as he spoke. "I tried, I really did, but things got a little hectic and I ended up getting held back and-"

Dana put her hand up as she waved him off. "I've heard you say that hundreds of times Terry, and I'm tired of hearing it. I get it, your job is important to you. But it's hindering out relationship Terry and I don't think I can keep chasing after a boyfriend who has more time for his job than he does for his own girlfriend. I **need **someone who can be there for me. I hardly see you and when I do, it's for maybe five minutes before you have some big plans and you have to cancel. Max probably sees you more than I do."

Terry looked down and knew that she was right. He and Maxine spent more time together, but part of that was pure coincidental when Maxine found out about his secret on her own. He wouldn't change that fact now because his friend was a huge help. Not to mention, it was nice having someone to understand his situation. But Dana, he couldn't tell her because….Well, he wasn't sure why aside from the fact that he would be putting Dana in danger. "But I mean it every time. Things just…They just happened and I never meant to put you on the back burner."

Dana sighed as she closed her eyes. "Well you did….If you want to continue to work for Mr. Wayne, that's fine. If it's what you need, I understand that, too. But I can't keep waiting for you, Terry. Something had to give and apparently it was 'Us.' I can't keep giving you so many chances to reconcile our relationship when it all it does is end disappointment every time. For once, I don't want to fix it and I'm ready to let it go. We're done, officially this time, Terry." She stared at him for a moment then turned away from him and walked down the street.

With no words to retort, Terry silently watched his ex-girlfriend walk away from him then waved her hand in the air to catch a cab. He simply stared as his mind tried to piece together the fact that Dana, his Dana, just broke up with him for real this time. When the cab sped off down the street, Terry's phone beeped in his pocket indicating that he got a text message. Roused from his thoughts, Terry pulled his phone out of his pocket and instead of replying, he called the recipient instead.

"Hey, Max," Terry replied tiredly the second Maxine picked up the phone.

"Terry? Aren't you on a date with Dana, what are you doing calling me back so soon," Maxine questioned as she sat back on her bed. Her cat Isis curled up in the young woman's lap while purring loudly as her owner lovingly scratches her side. Maxine resisted the urge to chuckle when her cat started kneading her inner left thigh.

"Dana and I…She broke up with me, Max," Terry announced as he leaned his head back and stared up at the starry night sky. He was still having a hard time realizing that everything just transpired in that brief moment.

Still petting Isis, Maxine shifted slightly and leaned back against her pillow. "Just give her some time and she'll –"

"It's for good this time, Max," Terry interrupts. "Mind if I stop by for a bit? I'd rather talk about this in person." He headed for his motorcycle, ready to go whether or not Maxine said yes or no. Although he was hoping she would say yes instead.

Maxine inhaled deeply as she stopped petting her cat momentarily. Instead, she kept her hand still on her cat's side, even as Isis peered up at the pink haired girl with one eye. A curious little mew from Isis barely registered to Max, even as the cat paws at her hand to continue the loving strokes. Maxine main focus was on her friend Terry; she knew he needed someone to talk to and she was possibly the best option out of anyone who knew Terry. Thus, Maxine exhaled and replied gently. "Sure, the front window will be open for you and Melissa is currently out of town with her boyfriend, so it'll just be us talking."

"Thanks Max. I'll be over there soon," Terry informed then hung up and slipped his phone back into his side jean pocket. He placed his helmet over his head, then revved up the engine and rode down the street to his friend's Maxine's apartment.

Fifteen minutes had passed since their short conversation on the phone, and Maxine was just waiting in the kitchen with a glass cup filled with freshly poured water. She took a swig before hearing the telltale knock at her window. She looked up and noticed that Terry had started climbing in after alerting her of his presence. Maxine took that moment to put her glass of water down on the counter top to approach her friend, who at the moment seemed as down as she expected him for a guy who was just dumped.

"Ter," Maxine murmured as she walked over to him and stretched her hand out, but paused then recoiled as if deciding it best to leave physical contact out of the equation. She placed her hands on the back of couch instead and merely looked at him. "So….?" She pressed awkwardly as Terry sat down on the couch and leaned back with a drawn-out sigh. She maneuvered around him and sat down on his right while still in the same white t-shirt and black shorts she was wearing when they talked on the phone. She pulled her legs up on the couch with one hand on her left calf and the other hand on the top of the couch.

Terry sat up and leaned forward with his head hanging low. "I was late again to our date," he told her without looking in Maxine's direction. He had his eyes closed for a moment but opened them and stared at the ceiling.

"That's happened before, so what makes this one so final?" Maxine reasoned.

With a sigh, Terry continued staring up at the ceiling. "She gave me an ultimatum the night before. She told me that she thinks we were drifting apart and that I've been neglecting her. I told her that would make it up to her and she said that she wanted me to meet her at Rhino's at eight and if I wasn't there on time, it would be the last time she would put up with my absence. So, I agreed to it. I kept telling myself that no matter what, I wouldn't miss this date and that Dana would see that I was serious," Terry explained.

Maxine frowned a little, showing sympathy to her raven-haired friend. "Ter…So, what happened?"

Rubbing his hands together, Terry continued with his story. "Well, I was two hours late because I had to chase down this thief – Mr. Cheetah who stole a data chip from Wayne Tech with records of a secret project for some new armor. I was on my way back home from patrol when I got an alert from the old man telling me that Wayne Tech's data vault was infiltrated and one of the data chips was stolen. I didn't find the guy at the building, but I found him in to the Diamond District." Terry paused for barely a moment when he noticed the surprised expression on Maxine's face. "Yeah, the guy was actually pretty quick on just two legs and it even took me a while to apprehend him. Then I had to take the chip to Bruce and rush to Rhino's and hopefully apologize to Dana for being so late. But by the time I got there,"

Maxine patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Dana pretty much told you she had enough…"

"Yeah…" Terry interlaced his fingers then squeezed his hands together. "I put her through so much, Max. I never wanted things to end this way, and I didn't want to hurt her. But deep down I knew my promises weren't enough and no matter how hard I try, I would just end disappointing her again and again. After breaking so many promises, flaking out on her at the last minute and arguing on a weekly basis about my job, I still felt the need to try. But I don't blame her for breaking up with me and maybe I'm just a bad boyfriend? She deserves better than someone who can't be around much. Still…" He lowered his head in defeat.

Maxine placed her hand on his and almost immediately, Terry looked directly at her. Her brown eyes locked with his icy blue ones and she smiled sympathetically while giving his hands a little squeeze. "You did your best, Ter. We all know how much you cared about Dana. But you can't keep beating yourself up about it. Things happen and sometimes they don't go as planned. But you'll recover from this and maybe find someone who will understand the things you do."

Terry stared at her for a moment then smiled appreciatively. "I guess you're right...Maybe I will find that special someone who knows me pretty well. Someone who I could spill my heart to, and would have my back through all the good times and the bad times." He continued to stare at Maxine as if having a small epiphany for the first time. "She has to be quite the looker, too," he grinned with amusement dancing in his eyes as he jokingly said the next line. "Like Alyssa Miller's level."

Maxine rolled her eyes at his last comment. "Right," she patted his hand gently as she stood up from the couch. "Besides, isn't Alyssa in her 80's now?"

Terry shrugged then wrapped his hand around Maxine's slim wrist. He pulled her closer as he stared into her eyes with a softer tone in his suddenly deeper voice. "But she also has to be smart, genuine…Cool and –"

Sharply inhaling, Maxine could not take her eyes off him for some strange reason. His eyes, his beautiful blue eyes kept her locked in place as something unusual but not completely foreign stirred within her from just the intense look alone. Yet, there was also fear swimming in the pit of her stomach the longer he kept his gaze on her. "Ter…" Her plump lips parted as she whispered his name.

"Max," Terry whispered back as he stood to his feet and towered over the young woman—his closes friend and maybe…

Swallowing thickly, Maxine felt his other arm slip around her waist with the pressure of his hand settled just above the small of her back. She sensed him pulling her closer to his warm and very well chiseled body despite the layer of clothing between them. Her mind momentarily went blank when he moved his hand from her wrist, up her toned arm, her shoulder, her neck and finally cupping her cheek.

His lips were barely a breath away from hers until…

A solitary yet long, whiny meow broke the moment that would otherwise being a turning point for both Terry and Maxine. When Maxine regained her senses, she gently separated from Terry and looked down at Isis who jumped up on her hind legs and pawed at Max's thigh.

"Yes, baby?" Maxine spared Terry a quick glance filled with both confusion and uncertainty of what just happened. But it vanished quickly as she bent down to pick the cat up. As soon as she did, Isis nuzzled her face lovingly while purring, mewing and pawing at her owner's face. Maxine scratches the side of Isis' chin, realizing that her cat wanted in on attention and likely cat food. "Ok, ok, I hear ya. Looks like she's hungry…Speaking of which, you wanna order in?"

While in a little daze, Terry snapped out of it and smiled at his pink-haired friend. "Uh, yeah….How about some Chinese," he suggests then clears his throat, realizing that he and his friend Maxine nearly kissed. He wanted to slap himself for taking advantage of the moment especially after he broke up with Dana literally an hour ago.

"Ok, Chinese it is," Maxine turned away from him with a tinge of red on her dark cheeks.

There was an awkward silence between them. Terry stood there, looking at his friend who he nearly made a pass at then sighed. He went too far and seeing her there with her back turned made him realize a few things about him…About her…Terry sighed and gingerly touched her shoulder. "Hey Max…I…"

Maxine turned her head but moved away a little. "Don't worry about it, McGinnis. It was a heat of the moment kind of thing. You felt vulnerable and we have a close bond as friends and it just sort of almost…." She drifted off for a moment as she bit her bottom lip. "Listen, you can always talk to me and hang out whenever – you know I'll be there for you, but I don't think this is what you want after just breaking up."

Terry inhaled deeply then exhaled just as deeply. He then smiles at his friend Maxine. "Thanks Max….Can I still…?"

Putting her cat down, despite Isis mewing in protest, Maxine wrapped her arms around Terry and embraced him tightly.

"I don't know what I would do without you sometimes," Terry told her as he hugged her tightly.

"Mm, probably wandering around Gotham as a wounded, emotional mess," she retorted without skipping a beat. "You might want to keep that in mind next time I ask you if I can put on the Bat Girl suit."

"Oh right…You are good for that," Terry teased then whispered into Maxine's ear. "Not going to happen, woman." He pulled away quickly before she could slap him.

"Idiot," she rubbed her ear while playfully glaring at him. "At least you're not too bad to still crack jokes, McGinnis." She fluttered her eyelashes then nudged her eyes with the back of her hand, pretending she got something in her eye.

Terry held back another playful retort, but cupped her face and looked at her in concern. "Hey, let me help. I could probably get it out for you." His hands tensed a little as the thought of nearly kissing her resurfaced.

Maxine closed her eyes as she gently pushes Terry away. "No, no, I got it. Go order the food if you want to be helpful. It's probably just cat hair," she lied.

"Are you sure?" Terry removed his hands from her face quickly as if he was burnt by fire. He mentally reprimanded himself out of respect for his friend. But reasoned that his hormones were trying to dictate his already vulnerable state and because of the fact that Maxine is his dear friend. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her not matter how he felt.

Maxine nods her head. "Yeah…Just go place the order and get the usual. I'll be in the bathroom getting whatever it is out of my eye." She told him as she walked toward the bathroom, with a curious mew coming from Isis…

Terry opened his eyes once more when he heard a cat meow outside his living room window and stirring him back to the present. The feline reminded him of Maxine's cat Isis, except this cat was a mere black cat. Still he looked toward the window and observed the cat jumping down from his window. Terry then sat up, noting his thought process when he was still a foolish teenager. At the time, he wasn't sure what he wanted even though he saw Maxine as someone who was there for him for a lot of the things he dealt with as Batman and as simply Terrance McGinnis. Even though she was great in every way, Terry didn't want to push her away.

"And yet I still pushed her away…" Terry muttered to himself. He sat in silence for a while then leaned back to grab a small ivory colored stationery with blue and gold trim off his glass coffee table. It was an invitation to a wedding he had been putting off. He flipped it open and looked at the couple inside who hugged each other tenderly while smiling happily in their colored photo. At the bottom, there was a date set in gold.

"September 23rd…." Terry murmured then leaned back against his couch as he stared at the stationery.

**~See you next time~**


	3. Last Pill To Swallow, Part 1

**A/N:** It has been a long time coming for this story. I got heavily sidetracked due to the move. Although I won't go into great detail as to what happened, I want to thank all of you for being patient with me and I want to let you know that I WILL complete this story.

**Disclaimer: **I, **OneMistyKnigh**t, do not own any of the animes or cartoons or whatever. But I enjoy these series to the point of writing fanfiction about them.

**After All This Time**

Chapter Three:Last Pill To Swallow, Part 1

When it comes to Gotham, there is no such thing as predictability, and Terry learned that long ago especially when he saw the city through the eyes of Batman. It still frustrated Terry to no end when a criminal decides to throw a proverbial wrench in his plans, but he learned to expect the unexpected even if he does end up late to anything remotely important in his life. In tonight's case, Terry really did not have the patience to deal with Mad Stan blowing up the newly refurbished City Hall after rushing through traffic to make it to the wedding. It took a lot of convincing on Chelsea's part just to get Terry to come despite any of his personal hang-ups. But at the same time...

He just repaired the batsuit...

Dropping down on the nearest building, Terry immediately went into stealth mode currently intent on observing a relatively large group of the Gotham Police Department swarm the vicinity of the building. There were no signs of Mad Stan, but the new Commissioner, Commissioner Brody stood front and center with a white and blue megaphone raised to his mouth.

Commissioner Brody took over Barbara Gordan's position nearly five years ago when the old woman could no longer keep up with the physical strain of chasing down the bad guys in town. If Terry remembered correctly, Barbara's husband Sam insisted that she retire when she got shot in the knee cap from some lucky punks stray bullet. It was a standard bank heist that would have been easy to take care of in a short time frame. But in the end, it resulted in Barbara getting he left knee replaced a couple of times before she finally realized that it was time to pass the torch to someone else who has a much drive and gusto as her. Thus Lemont Brody, Gordan's right hand man picked up where Barbara left off with enough vigor and justice to make her proud.

Commissioner Brody, looking every bit the part of a commissioner donned a charcoal gray overcoat, standard black slacks, but a deep plum dress shirt accented with a black necktie. The black matched the color of his thick goatee and short fluffy hair. "We've got you surrounded Mad Stan. Release the hostages safe and sound and come out with your hands up," he demands firmly.

Behind the commisoner are several cops shielded by their vehicles with their guns raised and ready to shoot when necessary. Off to the sides are three members of the Bomb Disposal Unit, all dressed in large robotic suits working diligently to diffuse all the bombs around the building as carefully as possible. Despite the danger of the situation, innocent bystanders watch and record the entire thing with little regard to the officers trying to keep them at a safe distance.

Mad Stan made no appearance, but his voice boomed from the speakers outside of building. "I will not give in to the oppressive pigs of the government! It is the government who will give in to me and realize that their misogynist views have tainted the lifestyle of those who choose to be free individuals! Cops are just as dirty as the criminals they hunt down like animals, all to satiate their twisted logic of justice and freedom!"

"Schway! Mad Stan is at it again," exclaims a teenage boy with neatly shaved, neon green squares on his head. He held his skull-themed smart phone up while recording everything. "That dude is totally nuts and it rocks!" Around him stands two girls, one with bright pink hair in multiple ponytails, and the with half her head shaved while the left half is black and long enough to reach her hips. Both girls chime in excitement with the teenage boy.

Overhearing the teenagers, Terry shook his head as he jumped onto the City Hall building while everyone was busy with Mad Stan and his countless bombs. Kids...He noted mentally, remembering just how stupid and misguided he and the kids back in his day were. Without much thought to the kids fascination, Terry used the mini torch in his gloves index finger, and quickly melted the locks off the back window. With the finesse he acquired over time, he firmly jiggled the window open and crawled inside without a peep or anyone noticing.

Once inside, Terry creeps along the room still invisible to the human eye as he makes his way down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible. There were bombs in various places in which he quickly diffused along the way to Mad Stan and his hostages. Upon reaching the main entry where the metal detectors and Xray machines, Terry saw five hostages lined up against the wall. Every single one of them are bound, gagged and tied up while sniveling in fear of possibly being killed. Still, Terry made not a sound as he went around the room to diffuse each and every single bomb, even the one on Mad Stan's person. From experience, Terry knew better than to not leave anything to chance with Mad Stan – people like him always had a contingency despite their warped ideals.

When Terry was done diffusing all of the bombs, he slowly crept over to the hostages and crouched in front of them, namely Judge Jordan who Terry knew to keep a his wits even in such a dangerous situation. With is finger over his lips and his hand on the buckle of his utility belt, Terry turned the dial to briefly turn off his cloaking device.

"Shhh..." Terry shushed the judge as he reached behind the man and loosened the ropes around the older man's wrist.

Judge Jordan nods his head once to affirm that he will refrain from alerting to Mad Stan that Batman is in the room to ruin the lunatic's plans. As Batman took off the gag, judge Jordan looked up and pointed above Terry's head with great urgency in his eyes. "Batman look -"

In that brief moment, Terry shifted on his left foot and spun around to avoid having a chair smashed against his back. The judge at the same time moved out of the way quickly while pushing the bailiff off to the side so he wouldn't get hurt in the process.

Yet, Terry could not account for the right hook colliding into his jaw like a bag of bricks which knocked him a few steps back against the x-ray machines. Terry yelped in pain the moment his back hit the metal conveyor belt, but he dipped down as soon as Mad Stan swung his left fist at Terry's face once more. This time, Terry retaliated by taking out a small disc from his belt while punching Stan square in the jaw, followed by another with his left fist making the larger man stumbled back a little.

Mad Stan nearly wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and grins. "I knew you would come, Batman. Always the black dog fighting for the misguided fools who know nothing of our tainted justice system. You're fighting for the wrong side, you know."

As Mad Stan continued to talk, judge Jordan started helping the other hostages by taking off their bindings. He worked quickly, careful not to let Mad Stan see what he or any of the hostages are up to even if Batman kept the crazy mans' attention on him the entire time. Still, no one made an attempt to leave yet considering their captor blocked the entryway.

"Last I checked, being blown up is not a good thing," Batman retorted as he rushed in to punch Mad Stan once more, only to get back-handed like a common house fly. The moment he went soaring into the wall, Mad Stan started laughing. Batman grunted when he collided into the wall and slide down unceremoniously.

The laughter becomes louder as Mad Stan throws his head back—his booming voice echoing within the enclosed space. "The problem with you Batman, is that you conform to society and it's weak values. You're just as weak as all the others who claim they stand for justice, but all you're really good for is oppressing other people and keeping them from rising to the top. So you know what I have to say to people like you?"

Standing up while holding his shoulder, Batman looked at him resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the obvious. "Oh, let me take a wild guess...The answer wouldn't be...Blow it up, would it,' he replied sarcastically.

Grinning menacingly, Mad Stan pulled out his trigger button while a few of the hostages screamed in fear. Even the judges dark skin is drenched in sweat as he back away to the furthest wall with everyone else clinging to each other. But Batman stood up tall and simply looked Mad Stan in the eyes while removing his hand from his shoulder. Within Batman's other hand is a small black device with a red button hidden out of Stan's sight.

Without another word, Mad Stan jammed his thumb over the button while one of the women, a buxom blonde clings to the judge's arm while screaming, "I don't want to die!"

But nothing happened...

"What?!" Mad Stan repeatedly hits the red button without a single thing happening. Thus he looks up at Batman with his teeth clenched and veins popping out of his thick neck. His voice soon came out in a low grumble. "You won't stop me, Batman," he roars as he charges toward the crusader only to have blue electricity dance all over his body. He quickly slows down just enough for Batman to rush in and hit Mad Stan as hard as possible with his left fist.

Batman does not send Mad Stan flying far, but hits him hard enough to send him skid along the floor and crashing into the front desk. Even with the suits' strength, Terry still felt his knuckles throb angrily from hitting Mad Stan, which is the equivalent of hitting a stone wall without gloves on. Without even looking at his hand, Terry became certain that he busted a knuckle at least yet did not indicate his pain.

"Oh my god..Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD! I-I thought we were all going to die," cried the blonde whose mascara streaked down her cheeks from her tears. She turned to Batman just as the judge did when the vigilante took out a pair of black hand-cuffs in the shape of bats from his utility belt and enclosed them over the unconscious criminal's wrists.

Judge Jordan gently rubbed the woman's back to console her. "It's alright, Ana. If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that our black knight here will always have our backs," confirmed judge Jordan who smiled confidently in Batman's direction.

Inwardly, Batman felt a sense of pride swell in his chest but remained as poker-faced as usual. "Is everyone ok," he asked, checking to see if anyone was injured as he stands up.

"We could ask you the same thing. You got knocked around pretty hard there for a while," said the bailiff with rust-colored hair and alabaster skin. "Look..." He started off as he took a few steps toward Batman.

Batman turned his back to the group – his deep voice filled with stern resolution. "Don't worry about me," he says as he pulls out his grappling gun from his utility belt with his right hand. He turned his head to the side while glancing at everyone behind him. "Just leave the building...Now." Batman warned as he narrowed eyes.

"But," exclaimed the bailiff as he reached out to Batman. Yet he stopped in his tracks and turned his attention to the judge who had gently gripped his shoulder.

As soon as he had the bailiff's attention, Judge Jordan shook his head. "Let it go. The least we can do is respect his decision and let the police know that everyone is safe. Everyone had a rough night, so lets just go home, ok?" He gave the bailiff's shoulder another squeeze even as the secretary clung to him – still shaken from the dangers of nearly being killed.

Defeated, the bailiff's shoulders drooped as he turned around to say one more thing to Batman.

But Batman was long gone...

After slipping away from the scene of the crime and speeding towards the altar, Terry ran inside the building with black strands of hair sticking out in various directions, and his tie a little crooked. Once he reached the tall double, ivory doors, he stood still and stared for a short while as if the doors themselves were warning him to turn back. He swallowed hard – an unfamiliar feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach overloaded his senses making it that much harder from him to push forward and face this challenge in front of him. Once again, he swallowed hard then inhaled deeply. His hands raked through his black hair then went to his tie to properly adjust it and make himself presentable. After all, it's only been ten or so years since he seen half his high school friends.

Taking one last deep breath, Terry pushed the doors forward...

At the very front of the altar stood the bride and groom facing one another; the bride wearing a traditional white dress and the groom wearing a sleek and simple black tuxedo with a brilliant, almost a Sapphire blue rose in his lapel. The bride's satin white gloved hands were gently placed within the larger palms of the groom's. The and everyone who sat on either side of the aisle looked to him unexpectedly. The reverend who stood at the front paused from his verse in the bible and looked up at young man who entered the room at possibly the most critical part of the wedding. His bald head shined brilliantly under the heated lights while his glasses reflected the lights in the room. But what caught Terry's attention was the bride and groom who stared directly at him as if he was magically beamed down from a spaceship. Terry could not look away...It was as if he was a deer stuck in headlights despite his years of experience as Batman.

"Terry!"

A woman whispered his name urgently.

Quickly clearing his throat, Terry awkwardly looks away from everyone's scrutinizing stares and scans the sea of guests for a nearby seat. He tried not to make it obvious that he could sense the annoyance radiating from the glares he is receiving, especially from the bride's side of the family who especially held mixed emotions of disgust and contempt for him. But, he ignored it to the best of his ability anyway while shifting his eyes to the back aisle on the right side of the room. His effort is quickly rewarded when he notices a relatively young blonde woman beckoning him over with a subtle wave of her hand. Once she grabbed his attention, she points at an empty spot on the white bench next to her.

"Over here," mouths the blonde woman.

Accepting the kind gesture, Terry promptly slides over to the back row, and squeezes past a few unknown guests, some who are notably elders then sat down next to the blonde. Terry turned his head and looked at the blonde. Something about her seemed familiar...

Cerulean blue eyes, short blonde hair, fair creamy complexion..."Chels...?!" Terry's eyes widen slightly when he finally put two and two together. He took a moment to look her over, and he smiled somewhat surprised to see how much she changed over the years but also how glad he is to see her.

"The one and only," Chelsea affirms then smiles as she gently places a hand on his shoulder. "Glad you could make it."

Terry glanced around and noticed a handful of the guests are glaring at him. He knew those guests as family of the bride and knew the reason why they glared at him as if he was some scum of the earth unfit to be in the presence of the bride. He shrunk back in his seat then turned slightly and cupped Chelsea's ear. "You might be one of the few who is," he whispers to her as his eyes darts over to an elder woman sitting in the front rows with chopped gray-hair. That woman in particular gave Terry the nastiest glare that could almost rival old man Bruce's classic glare. Terry pulled back and removed his hand from Chelsea's ear without looking away from the old woman. "...And I thought he was the only one who could glare like that..." Terry murmured under his breath.

Chelsea turned her head him with a look of confusion. "What...?" She looked around Terry and caught a glimpse of the older woman on the other side of the room. She smiled and waved, receiving a sweet smile and a wave in return from the older woman who turned her head and looked toward the altar. "Oh...Yeah...I think she's still mad at you."

Terry sighed pointedly. "She never liked me to begin with," he corrected then paused for a moment when the reverend cleared his throat, and slowly felt the searing stares focus on the reverend instead with much less intensity. Terry also looked toward the altar as the reverend adjusted his frame-less glasses, and pointed at a section in the bible he was reading from. "I almost didn't come," he told Chelsea in a whisper.

Removing her hand from his shoulder, Chelsea nods her head. "I don't blame you if you did. But it would have meant a lot to her to see you attend her wedding. Some people believed you wouldn't come...Possibly cutting all ties with everyone because of what happened a few years ago. I originally thought you didn't come to my wedding because you wanted to avoid everyone bringing up the past." Chelsea was half focused on the reverend reading from the passage as she continued whispering to Terry, even as she kept her eyes on the couple holding hands. "Everyone was there...Even Max."

It was subtle, but Terry's right eyebrow twitched—Chelsea's words causing a visible sting to his conscience and pride but he glanced at his old schoolmate from the corner of his eye, acknowledging her words. He tightened his lips a little, and huffed faintly through his nostrils as he returned his attention to the front. "I..." He shut up as if searching for the right words to explain or rather excuse his recluse behavior over the years. For a moment, he closed his eyes then re-opened them and stared at the couple facing each other. "...I had a lot on my plate for a while that made it impossible for me to attend," he explained vaguely and lowered his head as if regretting the decision he made to not attend Chelsea's wedding. He then turns his head slightly and looks at her. "I saw the pictures of your little boy on Instagram last week. How's he doing?"

Not bothering to turn her head as the reverend provided the bride and groom their respective lit white candles, Chelsea smiles softly. "He's doing really well but still hasn't learned how to walk yet. My husband took Aiden to Metropolis to visit his grandparents for the week." Chelsea turns her head and looks at Terry with a soft gaze almost as if she pitied him a little. "Terry...If you don't want me to mention the past, I won't. It's just...Hard to see you so unlike yourself..."

Terry said nothing but glanced at Chelsea from the corner of his eyes, acknowledging that he heard what she said.

There were no further verbal exchanges between him and Chelsea and the wedding resumed without any further interruptions. However, Terry had numerous thoughts running through his head, that he barely heard the ceremony and only glanced up when the entire room became completely submersed in joyous cheer. Immediately, Terry starts clapping his hands, but less heart-felt as the bride links her slender arm with the groom.

And for the first time, he got a good glimpse of the newly weds...

Terry's breath hitches in his throat for a moment when he saw the bride's face. She was smiling brightly, and looked as beautiful as he always remembered. But, more importantly as the bride and groom walk down the aisle together with their families throwing white rose petals over their heads, Terry felt the corner of his mouth twitch and he smiles sincerely when the bride's dark brown eyes meets his.

Recognition flashes within the bride's eyes, and she smiles softly in return. This little exchange is brief and is only noticed by the only friend who is currently sitting next to Terry. When that moment passes, so does the couple who stroll through the open doors held carefully at the handles by two young men wearing black tuxedos.

Chelsea places a hand on Terry's shoulder and smiles as she also watches her other friend and her husband exit the altar. "She really thought you wouldn't come to her wedding after the big nasty break up the two of you had back in high school."

Terry glances back at Chelsea. "It's water under the bridge now, Chels. Neither of us wanted to hang on to an old grudge. Besides," Terry smirks a little. "she looks a lot happier now that she's with him. I'm just glad she's happy."

Chelsea frowns a little and squeezes his shoulder a little. "And what about you? Are you happy, Terry?"

Looking away from her, Terry removes her hand off his shoulder. "To be honest Chels...I've forgotten what that's like." He said nothing more and starts walking away just as the rest of the guests ease out of the altar to attend the reception.

**~See You Next Time~**

**A/N: **I am so sorry. This chapter had been written a loooong time ago, but since I_ still_ don't have my computer, I'm trying to update when I have access to our communal laptop. I'm working with the 2nd part of this and if willing, I will have it available by next week.


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